Combined door hinge and hold open



COMBINED DOOR HINGE AND HOLD-OPEN Filed April 1, 1940 4 Sheets Sheet I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY5.

BZQWM Feb. 22, 1944. R. H; DEAN 2,342,531

COMBINED DOOR HINGE AND HOLD-OPEN Filed April 1, 1940 4'Sheets-Sheet 2 &

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INVENTOR.

Feb. 22, 1944. R. H. DEAN 2,342,531

COMBINED DOOR HINGE AND HOLD-OPEN Filed April 1, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v INVENTOR.

For fl. 00M.

ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1944. DEAN 2,342,531

COMBINED DOOR HINGE AND HOLD-OPEN Filed April 1,- 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR! ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 22, 1944 COMBINED DOOR. HINGE AND HOLD OPEN Roy H. Dean, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich'., a. corporation of Michigan Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,127

'1 Claims. (01. 16-142) This invention relates to a combined door hinge and hold open and more particularly to a combined door hinge and hold open for an automotive vehicle door.

It is an object of this invention to produce a combined hinge and door hold open which will operate efiiclently and which is relatively simple and inexpensive to fabricate.

This invention also contemplates a combined hinge and door hold open which is easily assembled to the vehicle and door and body and in fact is as easy to assemble to the vehicle door and body as any simple hinge without the door hold open combination. v

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view along line l-i oi. Fig. 2 through the door and body hinge pillar showing the combined hinge and door hold open in plan.

Fig. 2 15a section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of .Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section along the line 66 of Fig. 5 showing the door open.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 showing the position of the combined hinge and door hold open when the door is partially open.

Fig. 8 is a section along the line 88 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through a modified form of combined hinge and door hold open,

Fig. 10 is a section along the line III-l0 oi. Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section through a second modifled form of combined hinge and door hold open.

'12 is a section along the line 12-12 of Fig. 11.

Referring more particularly to the drawings there is shown a portion of a vehicle door I having a hinge pillar 2 and the adjacent body pillar 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the door is closed.

The door is mounted on the hinge pillar by a plurality of hinges, only one of which will be which is secured to the inner panel 5 of the door by the screws 6 and reinforcing plate I. The dOOr hinge butt is supported in the pillar hinge butt 8 upon the hinge pin 9. The pillar hinge butt is in the form of a U shaped housing having a pair of outwardly flared flanges ID. The body hinge butt 8 is passed through an opening II in the hinge face l2 of the pillar 3 so that the flanges l0 rest against the face l2 of the pillar. The hinge butt -8 is secured to the body pillar by the screws l3 and reinforcing plate l4. The hinge butt 8 is also secured by means of the screws l5 and reinforcing plate 16 to the bracket l1 welded to the inner face of the pillar 3. The hinge thus far described may be termed a concealed hinge and in the opening of the door-the hinge butt swings freely in the opening II in the body pillar 3.

In opening the door the door is swung from closed position, Fig. 1, approximately through degrees to fully opened position, dotted line showing Fig. 5. For holding the door open, the body hinge butt 8 is provided with upper and lower, that is, right and left hand, spring clips 20 and 2| respectively. The spring clips are U shaped and each have one leg 22 secured by screws 23 to the body hinge butt 8. The other leg 24 of each clip is spaced from the butt 8 so that it is free to flex. The clips 20 and Ham preferably positioned directly opposite each other, clip 20 above the upper edge 25 and clip 2| below the lower edge 26 of door hinge butt 4. Each clip is provided with a shoulder 21 which extends at an angle across the longitudinal axis of the clip.

Each clip is also provided with a cam surface 28 which is inclined downwardly from shoulder 21 in door closing direction, that is, to theleft as viewed in Fig. 6. Each cam surface 28 is provided with a toe portion 29 which remain in contact with the upper and lower faces 25 and 26 of the hinge butt 4 when the door is closed.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the door is closed, Fig. 1, the outer or toe portion 29 of cam surface 28 of clip 20 rests upon the upper surface 25 of binge butt 4 and cam portion 28 of lower clip 2| contacts the lower face 26 of butt 4. As the door swings towards open position, the upper and lower surfaces of hinge butt 4 ride up cam faces 28, Figs. 4 and '7, thus springing legs 24 of the clips apart. As the hinge butt 4 passes over shoulder 21, spring legs 24 snap toward each other and position the shoulders 21 in back of the hinge butt 4, Figs. 5 and 6. The door can swing a few'degrees more toward fully open position, dotted lines Fig. 5, where it is arrested by the door check (not shown). The shoulder 21 is such that it cooperates with hinge butt 4 to yieldably retain the door in open position against such ordinary forces as the force of the wind blowing against the door or the tendency of the door to close by force of gravity. However, when the door is pushed or pulled closed by the operator or passenger in the vehicle, the hinge butt 4 rides over th inclined shoulder 21, spreading the legs 24 apart which permits the door to return to closed position, Fig. l.

The modified form shown in Figs. 9 and 10 differs from the principal form only in that the upper and lower clips 40 and 4| are shaped slightly different. In this case the clips are secured to the body hinge butt 8 by bending the end portion 43 of each clip into an opening 44 provided in the butt. The closed door position of the butts is shown in the dotted lines. As the door is swung open, to the full line position Fig. 9, the butt 4 in riding up inclined cam surface 46 spreads the spring legs of the clips causing the inclined ends 46 to retreat into opening 44. When the door is opened, inclined shoulder portions 45 hold the door open in the same fashion as shoulders 21.

In the second modified form shown in Figs. 11 and 12 the position of the hinge parts when the door is opened is shown in the full lines and when the door is closed in the dotted lines. In this case the clips 50 are secured to the hinge butt 8 by the rivets Each clip 50 is provided with a camsurface 52 and an inclined shoulder 53 behind which the hinge butt 4 seats when the door is open. As the door is swung from the open position, full lines Figs. 11 and 12, to the closed position, dotted line showing in these figures, hinge butt 4 rides up inclined shoulders 53 spreading the clips and then down the inclined cam faces 52.

In Figs. 13 and 14 there is shown a third modifled form. In this form a spring clip 60 is secured by rivets 6| to hinge butt 4. The clip 60 is U shaped and provided with the spring legs 62 having their outer portions 63 generally of hemispherical shape. The top and bottom walls 64 and 65 of the body hinge butt 8 are each provided with an elongated socket 66 arranged to yieldably interengage withthe end portions 63 of the clip 60 when the door is open, full line position Fig. 13. When the door is pulled or pushed closed by the driver or passenger, clip 60 is disengaged from the socket 66 and hinge butt 8 in the door easily swung closed. In general this door hold open functions the same as the principal form.

In the form shown in Figs. 15 and 16, the spring detent takes the form of a pair of plungers 10 which are retained in the housing 1| and yieldably held apart by the compression coil spring 12. The housing 1| is secured by the rivets 13 to the hinge butt 4. The top and bottom walls 64 and of the body hinge butt 8 are provided with concave depressions 16 having openings 15 which yieldably interengage with the plunger 10 when the door is open. The yieldable interengagement of the detents l0 and sockets 15 are sufficiently strong to normally hold the door open as explained above, but readily yield when the door is pushed or pulled closed by the operator or passenger. The concave depressions 16 form inclined or cam surfaces up which the detents 10 readily ride toward and into the sockets 15.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a door the combi- 'a leaf spring carried by one hinge butt and bent longitudinally to form an inclined surface and a shoulder adjacent thereto, the said inclined surface of said spring resiliently engaging the other hinge butt when the door is closed whereby as the door is swung open the other hinge butt slides along the inclined surface and compresses said spring toward straightened form between the hinge butts and then the shoulders snap behind the said hinge butt when the door is open to yieldably retain the door in open position.

2. In a vehicle body having a door the combination of a. hinge comprising a plurality of butts for supporting the door on the body, one of said hinge butts being secured to the door and the other to a fixed portion of the body, a spring clip in the form of a U member having one leg secured to one of said hinge butts with the other leg spaced from the said hinge butt and resiliently interengaging the other hinge butt, said leg having an inclined surface along which the other hinge butt rides in the opening of the door, and a shoulder with which the other hinge butt interchanges when the door is open to yieldably retain the door in open position.

3. In a vehicle body having a door the combination of a hinge for supporting the door on the body, said hinge comprising a housing hinge butt secured to the body having upper and lower walls and another hinge butt secured to the door and hinged within the housing butt, said hinge butts having clearances between the upper and lower walls of the housing hinge butt and the door hinge butt, a pair of spring clips carried in said clearances by the upper and lower walls of the housing hinge butt, each clip comprising a leaf spring bent longitudinally thereof to form an inclined surface along which an edge of the other butt slides in opening the door and compresses the spring toward straightened form and a shoulder adjacent thereto for resiliently interengaging opposite edges of the door hinge butt when the door is swung open to yieldably retain the door in open position, the inclined surface and shoulder of each said clip at all times being located between the upper and lower walls of said Housing butt.

4. In a Vehicle body having a door, the combination of a hinge comprising a plurality of butts for supporting the door on the body, one of said hinge butts being secured to the door and the other to a fixed portion Of the body, a spring clip in the form of a metal strip bent longitudinally to form an inclined surface and a shoulder adjacent thereto and secured to one of said hinge butts with a portion spaced from the said hinge butt and resiliently interengaging the other hinge butt, said interengaging portion having an inclined surface along which the other-hinge butt slides in the opening of the door and compresses the spring toward straightened form and a showder with which the other hinge butt interengages when the door is open to yieldably retain the door in open position.

5. In a vehicle body having a door, the combination of a hinge comprising a door butt and a body butt for supporting the door on the body, one of said hinge butts being secured to the door and the other to a fixed portion of the body, a spring clip in the form of a U-member having one le secured to said body hinge butt with the other leg spaced from the body hinge butt and resiliently interengaging the door hinge butt at all times, said other leg having. an inclined surface along which the door hinge butt rides in the opening of the door, a shoulder with which the door hinge butt interengages when the door is open to yieldably retain the door in open position, said inclined surface extending from the free end of said leg to said shoulder and resiliently urging said door hinge butt to a closed door position when said door hinge butt is in contact therewith.

6. Detent means vfor use with a hinge comprising a pair of binge members pivotall connected together by a pintle, one of said hinge members having at least one wall in a plane in closely spaced substantially parallel relation to an edge portion of the other hinge member in relation to which said edge portion of said other hinge member is movable in the pivotal movement of said hinge members relative to one-another, said detent means comprising an elongated, longitudinally bent leaf spring seemed to and compressible onsaid wall toward straightened form between the wall and the edge portion of the other hinge member by sliding. engagement of said edge portion thereon, said spring being disposed in radially spaced relation to the pintle axis and being bent so as to provide a V-shaped hump portion intermediate its ends the crown of which projects into the path of movement of the edge portion of the other hinge member and is arranged to be deflected by said edge portion of said hinge member, whereby to yieldingly resist return movement of the hinge members relative L at to one another after deflection of said detent in the pivotal movement of said hinge members relative to one another.

7. Detent means for use with a hinge comprising an outer hinge member and an inner hinge member pivotally connected together by a pintle, the outer hinge member having at least one wall in a plane in closely spaced substantially parallel relation to an edge portion of the inner hinge member, in relation to which said edge portion of said inner hinge member is movable in the pivotal movement of said hinge members relative to one another, said detent means comprising an elongated, longitudinally bent leaf spring fastened at one end on said wall and compressibl on said wall to the straightened form between the wall and the edge portion of the other hinge member by sliding engagement of said edge portion thereon, said spring being disposed in radially spaced relation to the pintle axis and being bent so as to provide a V-shaped hump portion intermediate its ends the crown of which projects into the path of movement of the edge portion of the other hinge member and is arranged to be deflected sliding movement of said edge portion lengthwise of said hump, one side of the hump having a relatively gentle rise but the other side toward the fastened end of the leaf spring having a relatively sharp rise, the latter side facing the edge portion of the other hinge member when the door is held by said hump in open position.

ROY H. DEAN. 

